


Like Dye In Water

by hardlystraight



Series: Prompts [3]
Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Homophobic Slurs, M/M, iggy is a good ol bro, mickey pretends to be bi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 21:22:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3584535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hardlystraight/pseuds/hardlystraight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SO i did a shit version of a prompt I got, and this is a different version.  Iggy catches on, and is a very very fucking awesome brother. (Prompt: Iggy figures out really quickly that Mickey and Ian have something. Set during season 3 around the "First kiss" Get creative. I just want Iggy to immediately catch on.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Like Dye In Water

Iggy first found out that his brother was a fag when Mickey forgot to clear the internet history.

"Here's the laptop back." Mickey grumbled, tossing the family computer at Iggy's feet.

"That didn't take long.  Sure you ain't a virgin or somethin'?" He teased, receiving Mickey's middle finger in response.

The door was slammed behind him, and Iggy shrugged, pulling the old block onto his lap.  There was a shit tonne of music he had yet to download, but the laptop had been passed around from Terry to Mandy to Colin, Joey and Mickey.  Iggy pulled a stolen iPhone from his pocket and plugged it in, already beginning to type 'Free Music Downloads', when Mickey came bursting out of his room.

"Shit!  Iggy, laptop, now!" He demanded.  Iggy froze, the default reaction he established whenever he was being yelled at.  After he'd calmed down, he exhaled loudly through his teeth.

"Jesus, fuck, Mickey ya scared me.  Hold on, let me just-" There, in the omnibox, was a suggestion.

In capital letters, 'WATCH FREE GAY PORN ONLINE' stood out against the other websites.  Iggy turned to his brother, who seemed to understand what was going on and snatched the thing away.

"I … uh … I'm … bi … sexual." Mickey grunted.  Iggy frowned and spat,

"The fuck does that mean?"

"I … I don't care about gender, just … any porn does it for me.  I'm not a fag.  I'm not gay, ok?  I'm not _fucking gay, I'm not a fag!  I'm not_!." Mickey's voice wavers and he repeats  the phrase again.  He seemed to be convincing himself more than Iggy.

"Alright, alright, whatever, man.  It's alright." Iggy placed a calming hand on Mickey's shaking shoulder.  "S'alright, dude, hey, hey." Iggy clipped Mickey on the back of the head and smiled lightly when his distraught brother let out a wet laugh.

"Just be sure to clear ya history next time, a'kay?" Mickey breathed heavily for a few minutes and nodded.

"Thanks, Iggs."

"No problem."

* * *

 

Iggy caught that Gallagher kid hanging around more often, even when Mandy wasn't around.  He saw Mickey shooting glances across the room at the redhead, especially after the whole 'getting shot' ordeal.

Iggy establishes that his brother is gay as shit after Mickey has no sex with any girls for a year and a half, and he walks in on Mickey fingering himself.  And the tender brushes of skin every so often, between Mickey and the Gallagher kid, the lingering glances … Iggy thinks he could prove their relationship, just by the way Mickey would sometimes eagerly ask Mandy about Ian.

* * *

 

Iggy watches the look on Mickey's face when he gets married.  It isn't joy, or lust, or even somewhat glassy-eyed, like he was high.  It's hard, and pained.  It's holding the world on his shoulders, and Iggy hates it.

* * *

 

Iggy watches the downfall of his brother like dye in water.  Ian leaving hits Mickey hard, the boy doesn't participate in drug runs, stops his employment at the Kash 'n' Grab and spends long days at the Alibi.  Like dye, Mickey's loss seeps into every aspect of his life; Mickey constantly has a film of dirt on his skin, like the old days, he starts to fuck girls again, and from the angry and exhausted look on his face when Mickey hands the family laptop back to Iggy, he hasn't gotten off in months.

Iggy pulls the man up on it after three months of moping.  He shoves Mickey into the bathroom to clean up, then takes him on a run.  He steers the boy away from drugs and alcohol for a week straight, to detox his system from the constant high/drunk state Mickey had been in for weeks.  Mickey was an asshole about it, but Iggy didn't care.

Iggy knows Mickey's perked up slightly, when he takes the initiative to stand up for his wife.  But, like dye, the pain isn't gone, merely settled, raising slightly when bad memories stab at the younger man in random occurrences.  Iggy has to squeeze Mickey's shoulder whenever they pass the Kash 'n' Grab, or an abandoned lot, and Mickey hasn't touched their couch since Ian left.

* * *

 

One night, Mickey brings a drunk Ian home.  Or a high Ian, anything but a sober Ian, and watches while the man sleeps.  Iggy keeps his distance and, for a few weeks, Mickey stays at the Gallagher's place.

"Yo, is Mickey around?" Iggy asks Fiona Gallagher.  He was always sure to be nice around her, just in case he could make it into her pants.

"Yeah, on the couch.  You're three weeks late." She chuckles, opening the door for Iggy to step through.

He's about to call Mickey out for a run, but pauses.  Mickey's playing video games on the couch with Ian and one of the Gallaghers … the teenage boy.  He's smiling like the world is off his shoulders again, and has a sparkle in his eyes that Iggy hasn't seen in years.  He turns on his heel and smiles at Fiona.

"Actually, never mind.  Have a great day!" He beams, and walks out the door.

* * *

 

"..I'm fucking gay!" A month or two later, Iggy exchanges a glance with Kev, the bartender, and the two smile.

**Author's Note:**

> hmu on tumblr at make-your-move-on-me for prompts


End file.
